Attacking The Vacuum Cleaner??

Improving your dogs behavior around the vacuum cleaner.

First Thing, keep taking him out if you need to hoover unless you are training him (popping the dog in the car also tends to work). The more he growls and barks at the hoover the more ingrained the habit becomes and the more he will hate the hoover. 

Stage One:

Have the hoover off and still and simply treat him for looking at it or touching it but this should be done under his free will and the treats thrown away from the hoover. 

You can mark him looking at the hoover with "yes" or with a click (using a clicker - if ned be we can show you these stages in a one to one) 

When he is comfortable with the hoover in the room and is not jumping or avoiding it you can move on to stage two.

Stage Two:

Put the hoover in the furthest room from where you are training and turn it on. Shut all the doors so the sound is muffled. Mark each time he looks towards where the noise is coming from with a "yes"

When he seems very happy and comfortable you change the room where the sound is coming from and repeat. Remember you do not want him to see the hoover, even when you are moving it from room to room. 

Stage Three: 

Open the door to the furthest room and have the hoover on, same method reward him for looking but throw the treat away from where the hoover is (this needs to be the biggest distance in your house. You may also want to do these exercises on lead to prevent him rushing at the hoover. If at any stage he barks, growls or lunges however you have moved through the stages too quick. Don't forget to use amazing AAA+++ treats only the best will do and human food is normally the best!! 

Stage Four: 

Advance the game “look at the hoover” you are trying to get him closer and closer to the stationary but turned on hoover but without him showing any signs of stress or worry. It should be a game and he should be happy at all stages.  

Stage Five:

Now move him right away from the Hoover and turn it off, have some one else move it as if very very slowly hoovering and repeat the look at the hoover eat a treat game. Slowly move closer again. 

Stage Six:

Build up the speed of the turned off hoover until he will tolerate it being moved about in a normal hoovering fashion.

Stage Seven:

More right away again but now turn it on - repeat all the above steps. 

Stage Eight:

Now he should feel much better about the hoover but as a rule always pop him in another room with a lovely chew or bone to eat when you are hoovering. He is obviously frightened of it and whilst he should now feel better why make him tolerate something which he is so uncomfortable about? 

This should take about a month to achieve with very short daily sessions :) 

If you would like a one to one to combat this however please don't hesitate to ask.